Monthly Archives: February 2022

Broadus Wood Elementary School may retain name

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A committee that is evaluating whether the name of Broadus Wood Elementary School should be changed is recommending that it remain. In October 2018, the Albemarle School Board directed Superintendent Matt Haas to review all the names in the division to see if they still are consistent with school values. 

Broadus Ira Wood was a farmer who donated the land for the Earlysville area school in 1905 and the committee felt “he advanced education opportunities for African American and rural students.” 

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Parks update: No date yet for Smith Aquatic Center

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Contractor sought to operate Onesty Pool

Charlottesville’s Smith Aquatic and Fitness Center has been closed for nearly two years, but not all of that is related to the pandemic. When everything shut down in March of 2020, the facility had been expected to be closed for at least $1.8 million in repairs to try to finally fix lingering air quality issues. Smith had been expected to open back up last year, but the work wasn’t complete. The goal is for it to open this spring. Vic Garber is the deputy director of the Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Department. 

“We are still working diligently with facilities maintenance to make sure that all of the boxes are checked and to make sure that once we open that darned thing it is going to be safe, it is going to be a good experience, and I would like to say a magical experience,” Garber said. 

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Chamber of Commerce releases collaboration report

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The second anniversary of the pandemic is approaching and almost every organization across Virginia have been transformed in some way. The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce has released a report highlighting some of the partnerships it has undertaken during the challenging times. 

These include Venture Central, a project to help encourage regional entrepreneurship fueled by a $300,000 grant from GO Virginia. Other parties include Albemarle, Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia. 

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Climate report: January was sixth hottest on record

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This past January was the 6th hottest in 143 years of recorded climate history, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). January was also the 445th consecutive month with above-average temperatures. The data is collected by the National Centers for Environmental Information. (read the release)

Snow cover in the northern hemisphere is about average as was tropical activity. However, the polar sea ice coverage was at the second-smallest in January in 44 years of record. 

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